dacron and gellspun

Is there a general ratio on how the total length of backing compares from dacron to poly type backing, assuming the same breaking weight for each? For instance, if I have a half inch of 20lb backing on my reel, how would I know how much more length I could get if I switched it over to a 20 lb poly, gel spun or that type of material for backing and still fill it up to the 1/2 inch level? I'm sure there is some variation in the diameters of some of the poly backings, but can anyone get me into an approximate ratio? Thanks.

With 20lb Dacron you get a 50% to 60% increase if using 50lb spectra braid (gsp is same thing). With 30lb Dacron you get a 80% to 100% increase if using 50lb spectra.

As you surmised, much depends on the diameters of the lines being compared and how you lay it down on the spool.

I wouldn't use spectra braids of less than 45 to 50 lb strength for backing as they are much more prone digging in to itself when winding it back on the spool after a fish has taken some backing out. You are also more likely to cut yourself with the thinner backing. Knot strength is always a factor with spectra lines so 50 lb will be a bit more forgiving in that respect.

I'm sure there will be someone who chimes in with a formula you can use to get a close estimate. That being said, you might want to be careful using Gel-Spun for backing. There have been cases where it was wound onto the spool under pressure (i.e. fighting a large fish) and when it "relaxed" it expanded enough to warp the spool. I'd stick with standard backing, especially since the likelihood of you ever losing a fish becasue you run out of backing is fairly remote; at least in my experience.

Jim Smith

I got careless once fishing for false albacore and had dacron groove my finger almost to the bone when albert took off for the Canary Islands on a tunny melt; gsp would have left me with a stub. If you're out for billfish, shark or big tuna where you may need every foot of backing you can cram on your reel, gsp may make sense; otherwise, I'd stick with dacron.

Regards,
Scott

Quote:

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Originally Posted by James Smith

I'm sure there will be someone who chimes in with a formula you can use to get a close estimate. That being said, you might want to be careful using Gel-Spun for backing. There have been cases where it was wound onto the spool under pressure (i.e. fighting a large fish) and when it "relaxed" it expanded enough to warp the spool. I'd stick with standard backing, especially since the likelihood of you ever losing a fish becasue you run out of backing is fairly remote; at least in my experience.

Jim Smith

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Specta stretches much less than dacron or any other line so is unlikely to burst a spool by relaxing. You can burst a spool by winding on too tight. Hard to do by hand with a quality machined aluminum reel even when cranking a big fish but certainly possible with a powered winding machine. I have caught many fish, including beasts like yellowfin tuna with nary an issue.

I use spectra for two reasons. One is to reduce line drag when fishing for big fast moving fish. The other is to increase backing capacity on some large arbor reels that I use for saltwater fish. I'm talking about getting 150yards on the reel instead of 100. I also get then benefit of reduced line drag there also. I can't think of any other reason to use spectra.

Depends on the GSP and the dacron diameter and various dacron lines differ as does GSP, but it's very true that in most cases you can gain a lot of backing by switching from 20 lb dacron and going to 45 or 50 lb GSP. Thinner GSP is not recommended due to poor knot strength, and that cutting danger mentioned above.